A 'new' use of Scottish plants is in the creation of reedbeds and constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. These man-made plant systems simulate the water purification that occurs in natural wetlands. Usually the common reed (Phragmites australis) is used to populate the reedbed. This plant has the ability to transport oxygen through its roots into the water, thereby aerating the water and enhancing the growth of bacteria that break down waste. Sometimes other wetland plants such as bulrush (Typha latifolia), yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) or soft-rush (Juncus effusus) are added to the reedbed in order to increase its diversity and therefore create a more balanced system. The first reedbed in Scotland was created in 1985. At present at least 139 reedbeds are reported by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to exist throughout Scotland, totalling a surface area of almost 15 ha. Reedbeds can be used to treat domestic, municipal and industrial wastewater and to purify surface water.
 

Reedbed at CSC Forestry Products, Dalcross, Inverness	Reedbed of Phragmites australis (reed) and Caltha palustris (marsh marigold) at Culloden battlefield